Inside jokes (miscellaneous)
Muppet scenes mentioning names of performers, Henson employees, other Henson productions and other pieces of inside information. The Muppet Show * Episode 108: In the Telephone Pole Bit, Fozzie names himself Mike Oznowiczky; Mike Oznowicz was Frank Oz' father. * Episode 119: Sheriff David Goelz is mentioned in Muppet News Flash. (However, the Season 1 DVD subtitles translate his name as Sheriff David Coles.) * Episode 313: Muppet News Flash mentions Mr. and Mrs. Lazer attempting to break the record for overhand refrigerator throwing. * Episode 419: Muppet News Flash features a story on the crocodile god Rezal-evad-gib, which is "Big Dave Lazer" spelled backwards. * Episode 409: Muppet News Flash mentions French designer David Lazeur. * Episode 513: Tony Randall recites several magic words, which turn out to be Muppeteer names spelled backwards: Evets Erimtihw, Noslen Yrrej, Tnuh Drahcir, Zleog Evad, Oznog and, once again, Rezal Evad Gib. The Muppet Movie * The opening scenes feature Bernie the Agent (Bernie Brillstein). * Kermit and the gang audition for Lew Lord (Lord Lew Grade). * When driving to Hollywood, Kermit and Fozzie encounter Big Bird, who is walking to New York City with dreams of breaking into public television. Later in the film, a picture of Big Bird can be seen in The Electric Mayhem Bus. The Muppets Take Manhattan * Two of the dogs in Rowlf's pet shelter are named Jim and Frank. * Baby Rowlf has a plush doll of Big Bird. The Muppet Christmas Carol * Amidst the shops in Victorian London, one sign reads "Duncan & Kenworthy, Booksellers." * There is a store called "Micklewhite." Michael Caine's real name is Maurice Micklewhite. * Another sign, on a haberdashery near the end of the film, says "Statler & Waldorf." Muppets From Space * According to the book Muppets From Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic, the "door in a jar" provided by Muppet Labs was intended to be a replica of the front door of 123 Sesame Street. Although there are some differences - 123 Sesame Street's stoop has 6 steps and the "door in a jar" had 7; the "door in a jar" was also red whereas 123 Sesame Street's door was green (the door of 123 Sesame was red for a period of time but that did not happen until 3 years after Muppets From Space was released). Also the window above the door differs from the Sesame design. Kermit's Swamp Years * There are several behind-the-scenes references in the pet store, including Muppet performer names and an ad for "Salmon Friends" (Sam and Friends) fish food. * Mr. Wilson's license plate is JMH-924 -- James Maury Henson, September 24 (his birthday). * Wilson also has an Animal keychain on his truck keys. * When Kermit speaks to the star from the swamp, he says, "You called my name," a reference to the lyric from "The Rainbow Connection." The Muppets' Wizard of Oz * Scarecrow Kermit asks the Wizard if he is related to Frank Oz. * The call of the Galley-o-hoop-hoop can be heard edited into the soundtrack as part of the noises of the forest. Sesame Street * The names in the song "J Friends" are names of people behind the scenes: Joe (Raposo), Jane (Henson), Jim (Henson) and Joan (Ganz Cooney). * Ernie brings home a puppy; Bert suggests calling it Jim, or Norman. * In the home video Count it Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street, Count von Count has a picture of Joe Raposo on top of his television. * In Three Bears and a New Baby, Papa Bear reads from a book of bear names when trying to come up with a name for their new baby. One of those listed is Fozzie Bear. * Sesame Street News Flash: Old MacDonald: In this skit from the mid-1980s, Kermit begins by talking to a pig on the farm. "You remind me of somebody, I just can't figure out who." * A sketch with a lavender Anything Muppet, a set of teeth and a brush (pictured) features a framed photo of Miss Piggy on the wall. * When Kermit directed Forgetful Jones in "Oklahoma!," Frank Biondo's name appears as the cameraman on the clapboard. * The segment "Worms in Space" featured a voice-over introduced by Jerry Nelson in the same way he used to introduce "Pigs in Space" on The Muppet Show. * In the skit "Numberella," party guests can be heard using the words "rev" and "flooper." Both of these words are Doozer slang. * In the Monsterpiece Theater sketch "Upstairs, Downstairs," a picture of Dr. Teeth can be seen on the wall. Fraggle Rock * In the first episode, Doc receives a letter from Caroly. * In "Don't Cry Over Spilt Milk," Doc receives a letter from Kermit. * In "All Work and No Play," Doc receives a letter from Duncan. * In "Red's Club," Doc and Sprocket are compiling a list of dogs to be in Sprocket's club; one of the names mentioned is Rowlf. * The Traveling Matt sequence in "Boober's Dream" includes a clip from The Dark Crystal. * The Traveling Matt sequence in "Sir Hubris and the Gorgs" shows children dressed as Kermit and Miss Piggy for Halloween. * The Travelling Matt sequence in "A Cave of One's Own" features Bert and Oscar the Grouch plush dolls in the playroom of two little girls. * In "The Cavern of Lost Dreams," Sprocket does an imitation of The Swedish Chef while inventing a cereal -- complete with theme song hum and "Bork bork!" Muppet Babies * In "The Daily Muppet," a clip featuring Oscar the Grouch is shown during the song of the same name. * "The Incredible Shrinking Weirdo" features a scene where a live-action adult Kermit interacts with an animated Baby Gonzo. A clip from The Muppet Show (Episode 223: John Cleese) was used, with Frank Welker dubbing new lines for Kermit and with Baby Gonzo matted into the scene. This fantasy sequence also featured a shot of the audience that was frequently used on The Muppet Show. * Several clips from both Labyrinth and The Witches are woven into the cartoon footage in "Nice to Have Gnome You." * "Gonzee's Playhouse Channel" features a parody of Sesame Street, called "Sesame Seed Boulevard". Among the references include Baby Kermit's attempts to teach viewers about the letter B, Baby Fozzie in the role of "Big Joke", Baby Animal appearing in a trashcan like Oscar the Grouch, and Kermit and Baby Scooter using paper bags in the roles of Kert and Bernie. The Jim Henson Hour * When Digit has a case of "the reruns" in Episode 101: Science Fiction and strings together a number of television catch phrases, one of the sentence fragments he utters is "Today's show is brought to you by the letter--", a reference to the sponsor letters on Sesame Street. Muppets Tonight *episode 105 opens with a shot of a newspaper, featuring an ad for Muppet Treasure Island. *When Bobo the Bear puts The Mad Bomber on hold in episode 107, an audio clip of Kermit singing "The Rainbow Connection" can be heard. *In episode 107. when Gonzo suggests putting on an episode of Muppet Babies, he carries the Muppet Babies video "Explore With Us". See Also *Muppet Performer Cameos *Muppets Named After Their Performers *Bernie Category: Behind the Scenes